Recipes from Barefoot Contessa shows aired this week are available on this website under "tv this week". Otherwise,
almost all my recipes are available in my Barefoot Contessa Cookbooks. To find which
book a particular recipe is in, check " Cookbook Index" on this website.

Can I buy the music from Ina's show?

Unfortunately, we had the music written specifically for the show, so it's not commercially available. However, the music was inspired by CD's that I
like: Costes, La Suite ; Bryan Ferry Taxi ; Roxy Music Avalon ; Cesaria Evora, Cafe Atlantico ; and any of the Cafe Del Mar CD's. You can get them all at Amazon.com.

How can I be a guest on the show?

As you probably know, all the guests on the show are really my good friends. Many people have asked to be guests, but my producer and I feel that it's more authentic
if the guests continue to be my friends. Since the show is filmed in my kitchen in East Hampton, unfortunately, there's no extra room for an audience.

In the Barefoot in Paris special, what places did Ina visit?

In the Paris special, I visited Poilane bakery, La Grande Epicerie de Paris, and the Boulevard Raspail street market. My favorite flower shop was Marianne Robic and the restaurant we visited was Cafe de Flore. If you're planning a visit to Paris, you'll find many more resources in my cookbook, Barefoot in Paris.

When I originally wrote the book, there was only one kind of ground turkey available in grocery stores. Now you can buy 7% or 3% (lowfat) ground turkey. Turkey is a lowfat meat but if you use the 3% ground turkey, the meatloaf will be too dry, so I use the 7% one.

Can I cut the Turkey Meatloaf recipe in half?

Yes, absolutely. Cut all the ingredients in half (I use 2 eggs) and follow all the instructions, including the baking time and temperature.

Where can I find the square cutter that Ina uses for the scones?

You can really use any size cutter for scones - square or round - that you like. However, if you would like to make triangle scones and you need the square one, I bought it from Bridge Kitchenware. The phone number is 973-287-6163. It's a 3 1/4-inch fluted cutter but a straight one will work just as well.

The brownies overflowed the pan. What should I do?

The brownies need to be baked in what is called a "half-sheet pan." Unfortunately, several companies measure the pan differently, although it's always the same pan. It is about 12 x 18 inches and has approximately a 1 1/4-inch side. You can find them in any Williams-Sonoma, Sur La Table, Crate and Barrel, or CassandrasKitchen.com.

What is bitter chocolate?

Bitter chocolate is another term for unsweetened chocolate.

What temperature do I bake the Chocolate Buttercream Cake?

The cake bakes at 350 degrees.

My granola burnt. What should I do?

The granola recipe was written to be baked on only one half-sheet pan. If you bake it on 2 sheet pans, it will bake in only 20 to 25 minutes. In any
case, check the granola after 20 minutes, turning it frequently, to be sure it's not burning.

BAREFOOT CONTESSA PARTIES

What temperature do I bake Rori's Potato Chips?

Rori's Potato Chips bake at 325 degrees. Unfortunately, the baking temperature was omitted in the first edition.

I had a problem with the Chocolate Ganache Cake. What should I do?

The cake is not supposed to be liquid in the center. You want to bake it until a toothpick stuck in the center of the cake just comes out clean.
First check your oven temperature with an oven thermometer from the hardware store. If that's not the problem, bake the cake in a 9-inch rather than an 8-inch pan
and it should work for you.

When I made the Brisket, the plastic melted. What should I do?

We've been cooking the brisket that way for decades and never had a problem. However, I've received a few e-mails from people who found that the plastic
had melted, so I unfortunately assume that one brand of plastic wrap melts. Rather than taking a chance, I recommend that you either use parchment paper between the foil
and the brisket or you bake it in a Dutch oven with a secure lid such as Le Creuset.

BAREFOOT CONTESSA FAMILY SYLE

My Frozen Key Lime pie was too soft to serve.

The Frozen Key Lime pie is meant to be served frozen. Store it in the freezer and remove it from the freezer for about 10 minutes before serving.

My macaroons puddled on the sheet pan.

The Coconut macaroons will puddle just a little but if it's a lot, be sure to whip the egg whites until firm but not dry before you fold them into the coconut batter.

BAREFOOT IN PARIS

For the Salmon with Lentils, when do I add the lentils?

Add the lentils after the chicken stock.

For the Brioche Loaves, are they supposed to be placed "seam side up?"

Writing cookbooks is a little like making sausage;
what goes in sometimes doesn't look anything like
what comes out. None of us can figure out how the
words "seam side down" went to the printer
and "seam side up," came back in the book
- but it did. Definitely, put the loaves into the
pans seam side down.

I made the lemon meringue tart and the lemon filling didn't set in the crust after it cooled.

I'm sorry that you had a problem. Cooking the lemon filling is a little bit delicate. You want to cook it until it's very thick without ever
boiling it. If it you want to be sure the filling sets when it's cool, add another 1/4 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice and 1 extra-large egg yolk
to the mixture and I don't think you'll have a problem again.

BAREFOOT CONTESSA AT HOME

When I baked Beatty’s Chocolate Cake it overflowed the pan

I used 8-inch cake pans from Williams-Sonoma that must have higher sides than the pans you used. Of course, I baked the cake many times but
unfortunately, I didn't use different height pans. You can either use 9-inch pans for the cake or look for cake pans that have a 2-inch side.

Can I omit the yolk from the frosting in Beatty’s Chocolate Cake

You can certainly leave out the egg yolk if you prefer, the frosting is just not going to be as dark and glossy.

BAREFOOT CONTESSA BACK TO BASICS

Is there chocolate in the Brownie Pudding Recipe

Sorry that the photograph in the first printing is confusing. There is only cocoa powder in the recipe

Do you just use half the egg whites in the Fresh Lemon Mousse recipe?

Yes, you only use half the egg whites, the rest can be saved for something else.

I use Olio Santo olive oil from California which is available at Williams-Sonoma and specialty food stores. I think it's light and flavorful and a perfect all-purpose oil for cooking, salads, and dipping bread.

What is "good" mayonnaise?

I prefer Hellman's mayonnaise which is called Best in the Western part of the US. If you live in the South and can buy Duke's, it's also terrific.

Where can I get Eli's potato chips?

Go to EliZabar.com for Eli's potato chips and all of his delicious breads. They can be shipped anywhere in the US.

Barefoot Contessa is the name of a classic movie from the 1950's with Humphrey Bogart and Ava Gardner. When I bought the store in 1978, it was called
Barefoot Contessa. The former owner is Italian and her family called her the Barefoot Contessa when she was young. It's about being elegant and earthy which is what we're about.

Why did the store in East Hampton close?

Many years ago, I sold the store to two of my former employees and unfortunately they decided to close it in November 2003 to go on to new ventures. I have so much work to do writing cookbooks and filming the television shows that I'm not able to take over running the store again. As I'm sure you can imagine, it's a full-time job to run a good specialty food store.

How can I find the shirts that Ina wears on the show?

I actually have my shirts made for me by a dressmaker in NY City. I wanted a certain style and couldn't find it in enough colors, so I had them custom made. The original shirt came from Eileen Fisher, so that's a good place to look.

What are Ina's favorite cookbooks?

Some of the other books I use most are Nantucket Open House Cookbook by Sarah Leah Chase, The Loaves and Fishes Cookbook by Anna Pump, Bistro Cooking by Patricia Wells, and Cucina Simpatica by George Germon and Johanne Killeen.

Does Ina give cooking classes?

Unfortunately, with writing cookbooks and filming the television show on Food Network, I do not have time to teach cooking classes right now.

Does Ina have any advice on starting a store like Barefoot Contessa?

It's really impossible for me to advise people on how to start a business without knowing your area and who the customers would be. I can only recommend two things: start very small and start with as much education as you can.

I recommend that you find a professional culinary school which will teach you both large scale cooking techniques and how to run the business of a specialty food store or bakery. It's hard work but it's also very rewarding. I also suggest you take a job in the field, even if it's only weekends while you're working in your current field. You would not only learn a lot about customers and how to run a food store, but you would see things that you would do differently if the business were yours. I would see it as getting paid to get an education.

Where can I find the blue and white cups in Barefoot Contessa Parties!?

The cups are an old pattern reproduced by Spode and they are available from stores that sell fine china. I bought mine years ago from William Wayne in New York City and I believe that they are still available. The number is: 212-737-8934 and I'm sure they can ship them to you.

Where can I find Ina's silver bowls?

The bowls are old hotel silver that have been re-silver-plated. They're from a wonderful company called Hotel Silver. They're antiques, so you can't be sure of any particular dish but Hotel Silver is sold at Bergdorf Goodman in NY City on the 6th floor and online at CassandrasKitchen.com. I like them because they're the kind of silver you can use every day.

Where can I find Ina's modern champagne glasses?

The champagne glasses are from Deborah Ehrlich Design and are available from Turpan in East Hampton, 631-324-2444. If you call, the store will be happy to ship to you.

Where can I find Ina's favorite glassware?

Barney's in New York City carried my stemware for years, but unfortunately, they've now discontinued it. However, I have found a store in Paris that carries the wine glasses and they are happy to ship to the U.S. The name of the glassware is Cristallerie La Rochere, the Amite Collection. I use the water size glasses for serving red wine and the red wine size glasses for serving white wine. (French glasses tend to be a little smaller). The store is called Pomme & Poire, their website is http://www.wine-glasses-crystal.com and their phone number is (011) 33 6 22 16 88 10. You can also send an e-mail to contact@wine-glasses-crystal.com.

I love All Clad pots. I would recommend you start with small and medium saucepans and 8-inch and 12-inch sauté pans. I don't even bother with non-stick because if you soak the pans after you use them, they will clean beautifully. I know they're expensive pots, but you can collect them one at a time. They'll last a lifetime and you'll enjoy using them. For Dutch ovens, I prefer Le Creuset. These are all available at Crate & Barrel, Sur La Table, Williams-Sonoma or CassandrasKitchen.com.

What size baking pan should I use?

The pan I use for baking and roasting is called a Half-Sheet Pan. Every manufacturer seems to measures it differently, but it's always the same pan (12x18x1¼"). You can get them from Crate & Barrel, Sur La Table, and Williams-Sonoma or CassandrasKitchen.com .

What knives should I buy?

I love my Wustof knives. They're expensive but they last a lifetime. The ones I use most are the 8-inch chef's knife, a serrated bread knife, and a small paring knife.

My kitchen has white painted wood cabinets, the center island is Petit Fossil Belgian Stone. The floors are oak. The refrigerators are Sub Zero, the 2 dishwashers are Bosch, and the 8-burner stove is Viking.

What is the paint color in the barn?

The paint color I love is from Farrow & Ball and the color is called light gray. It is neither light nor gray! I’d say it is a warm taupe color. You can find Farrow & Ball on their website at Farrow-Ball.com.

Where can I get your bar stools?

My designer, Robert Stilin found the stools for me. He’s had so many requests that he has copied them. You can call him at 631 329 7141.

Where can I get the hurricane candle holders?

I bought them at a wonderful store in Sag Harbor, New York called Bloom, their telephone number is 631 725 5940.

My favorite places are the Baker House 631-324-4081 in East Hampton, which
is a lovely bed and breakfast inn, and the Bridgehampton
Inn 631-537-3660 in Bridgehampton. There are no big
hotels but these are lovely places to stay.

What are Ina's favorite restaurants in East Hampton?

Two of the restaurants I like most in East Hampton are Nick & Toni's and the Palm Restaurant.